Fletcher Town Hall going up; Park gets exercise stations

Construction continues on the new $7.1 million Fletcher Town Hall, estimated to be complete April 2014 and pegged to be the catalyst for the Heart of Fletcher project.

By Emily WeaverTimes-News Staff Writer

Construction continues on the new $7.1 million Fletcher Town Hall, estimated to be complete April 2014 and pegged to be the catalyst for the Heart of Fletcher project. The project aims to create a central core of mixed-use development as a new entryway for the growing town. Officials hope to see a new library building, satellite college and restaurant, housing, retail and office spaces sprout in a 49-acre field of dreams off of U.S. 25 at Old Cane Creek Road and East Fanning Bridge Road, next to the town's busy park.Planning officials continue to update a master plan for the Heart of Fletcher project to guide future development, as rafters are raised into place for the new town hall.The facility is “the first building into the Heart of Fletcher site,” said Town Manager Mark Biberdorf. “We're hoping this will help be a catalyst for other developments we hope to see in there.”The 25,000-square-foot building will house most of the town's departments with plenty of room for the police department on its ground floor. Council chambers, administrative offices and a conference room will be located on the main floor. Office space for planning, zoning, parks and recreation and a community meeting room will included on the town hall's top floor.Biberdorf said the town has “no room to grow” in its current municipal building, which they renovated and moved into more than 15 years ago.“This building has served us well here, but there is just no room for growth,” he added. Hendersonville's Cooper Construction began working on the new building, which will occupy five acres of the 49-acre site, in June 2012. The total construction project, which includes the cost of clearing the land for the Heart of Fletcher hopefuls, is billed at $9.7 million.About three years ago, Biberdorf said, the council voted to raise the town's property tax rate 5 cents (to 22.5 cents per $100 valuation) — the first increase in six or seven years. “Four of the 5 cents went directly to the town hall project,” he said.The USDA Rural Development program provided $6.5 million in low-interest community facility loans stretching over a 40-year period, and Suntrust Bank provided $3 million in an installment loan for the Heart of Fletcher. Taxpayers had provided $210,000 toward the project in 2012.In the end, the town hall project will save the city money in utility payments by consolidating the two locations for town business and police services into one site.“Council is determined in their support of this project,” Biberdorf said. “They've made hard decisions to move forward with it... and we're all hoping this will pay off in the future.”

He added that new portions of Old Cane Creek Road are being built to serve the development, which leaders plan to one day connect with the park.New ENERGI at the parkParks and Recreation Director Greg Walker estimates that 1,500 to 2,000 people use Fletcher Community Park on a daily basis. On a 42-by-36-foot concrete pad inside the park, crews worked to install a five-station fitness circuit called ENERGI Total Body Fitness System on Tuesday. Installation of the station, built through a partnership between the town of Fletcher and Park Ridge Health, should be complete by mid-day Wednesday.ENERGI is designed to offer up to 120 exercises at each of its stations, which will be labeled with a QR barcode that users can scan with their smart phones. The codes will download a one-minute video of a personal trainer explaining how to perform various exercises, from beginner to intermediate to advanced, on the equipment.The ENERGI system will be available to the public during the park's normal business hours.“I just think it's going to be a great asset to our community,” Walker said. “This will make fitness available to all people, (including those) who may not be able to access private membership organizations.”The town will hold a grand opening for the community to experience ENERGI at 4:30 p.m. May 1 at the park, off of Howard Gap Road, and 03 Health and Fitness in Asheville will hold demonstration classes beginning at 5 p.m. Classes using the new system will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings with 03 Health and Fitness beginning May 14. More information will be posted online at fletcherparks.org.Reach Weaver at emily.weaver@blueridgenow.com or 828-694-7867.

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